Roller positioning mechanisms for duplicating machines



Oct. 25, 1955 R. w. QUIRK 2,721,514

ROLLER POSITIONING MECHANISMS FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Original Filed Dec. 6, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 25, 1955 R. w. QUIRK 2,721,514

ROLLER POSITIONING MECHANISMS FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Original Filed Dec. 6, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 R- W. QUIRK Oct. 25, 1955 ROLLER POSITIONING MECHANISMS FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Original Filed Dec. 6, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ,NNN

m EFL R. W. QUIRK Oct. 25, 1955 ROLLER POSITIONING MECHANISMS FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Dec. 6, 1948 Unite States Patent ROLLER POSITIONING MECHANISMS FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES 6 Ciaims. (Cl. 101-1325) My invention relates to improved roller positioning mechanisms for duplicating machines, and more particularly to a liquid process duplicating machine.

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 63,703 filed December 6, 1948, now U. S. Patent No. 2,659,303.

In duplicating machines that utilize a drum for carrying the master against which copy sheets are pressed in order to imprint matter from the master on to said copy sheets, two pairs of cooperating rotatable elements are provided. One pair comprises the drum and the impression roller which develops the duplicating pressure. The other pair comprises a pair of sheet feeding rollers which are disposed in front of the bite of the drum and impression roller.

The impression roller is made of rubber or rubber-like material, such as neoprene, and it is maintained against the drum with considerable pressure in order to provide the desired duplicating action. If the parts are permitted to remain in pressure contact for a substantial period of time when the machine is not in use, one or more flat spots will be formed in the impression roller, thus rendering it desirable to provide mechanism which causes the impression roller to be moved out of contact with the drum during periods of non-use.

The sheet feeding rollers customarily serve also as means to moisten one surface of the copy sheet, and to this end, means are provided to supply a thin film of a liquid solvent to the surface of one of the sheet feeding rollers. in the embodiment shown herein, the liquid solvent is applied to the upper feeding roller.

Upon conclusion of a duplicating operation, the liquid remaining on the upper sheet feeding roller will run down and be transferred to the lower sheet feeding roller. More specifically, the liquid will accumulate at the bite of the two rollers in such a manner that it may not quickly evaporate, with the result that upon a subsequent duplicating operation, the leading edge of the first sheet will be fed into the bead of accumulated liquid in the bite and become saturated, thereby damaging or crashing the master sheet.

It is an object of the present invention to provide common control means which regulate the position of both the impression roller and the cooperating sheet feeding roller to the end that both may be moved away from and out of contact with the drum and the combined moistening and feeding roller, respectively, at the conclusion of a duplicating operation, and may be maintained in such non-contacting positions during the period of non-use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means for regulating the pressure contact between the impression roller and the drum in combination with means for maintaining the sheet feeding rollers in resilient engagement with each other, said first-mentioned means also serving to maintain both pairs of rotatable elements out of engagement with each other during periods of nonuse.

- A further object is to provide novel and improved Patented Oct. 25, 1955 means for regulating the positions of both the impression roller and the cooperating sheet feeding roller by means of a single control element.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the description of the drawings proceeds. I desire to have it understood, however, that I do not intend to limit myself to the particular details shown or described, except as defined in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of my improved duplicating machine;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view thereof taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, on a somewhat enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view taken along line 66 of Fig. 5 and Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

As pointed out more specifically in my aforesaid copending application, Serial No. 63,703, the duplicating machine includes a drum 25 and an impression roller 240 which cooperates therewith, as shown in Fig. 2. Disposed in front of the drum and impression roller, which is to the left, as shown in Fig. 2, and in substantial alignment with the bite thereof, is a pair of combined feeding and moistening rollers 100 and 203, respectively, also referred to herein as the upper sheet feeding roller 100 and the lower sheet feeding roller 203. Disposed in front of the sheet feeding rollers, is a feed tray 123 which is adapted to support a stack of sheets 124, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A primary feeding roller 122 is adapted to rest on the feed tray 123, or on the stack of sheets supported thereby to advance. the sheets 123, one by one,

into the bite of the sheet feeding rollers and 203, which are intermittently rotated.

Means, comprising a supply tank 170, a perforated feed tube 159, and a wiper element 151, together with suitable conduits and a pump, not shown, are provided for supplying a film of moisture to the surface of sheet feeding roller 100, in the manner pointed out in the aforesaid copending application.

Referring in detail to the drawings, my improved duplicating machine is provided with a frame that includes a pair of side plates 20 and 21, which are connected by means of a plurality of transverse frame members 22. A shaft 23 is journaled in suitable ball bearings 24, not shown, mounted in the side plates 20 and 21, the drum 25 being mounted on the shaft 23 to rotate therewith, the mounting on said shaft including hub portions 26 on spiders 27 on said drum, which are mounted in fixed position on the shaft 23. Reinforcing ribs 29 may be provided on the inner face of the cylindrical body portion 25 of the drum.

The shaft 23 may be driven in any suitable manner, but is, preferably, rotated by means of the crank 30, which may be provided with a suitable handle 31. The direction of rotation of the drum is counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 2.

The side plates 20 and 21 have removably mounted thereon sheet metal cover plates 42 and 43 providing housings for the driving means for the drum and other moving parts. As pointed out in my said copending application, said driving means includes a driving connection between the drum 25 and the upper sheet feeding roller 100 whereby the latter is intermittently rotated when the drum is continuously rotated. The sheet feeding and moistening roller 100 rotates in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2 in its paper feeding and moistening action. I This roller is suitably journaled in the side plates 20 and 21.

The sheet feeding roller 100 has the aforesaid feed roller 203 cooperating therewith, the roller 203 being mounted on a core 204, which has reduced end portions 205 that are freely rotatably mounted in ball bearings 206, the bearings 206' being mounted in suitable cradles 207 provided in the upper ends of levers 208 that are mounted on pivots 209 extending inwardly from the side plates 20 and 21. The levers 203 have downward extensions 210, which are provided each with a row of openings 211. Springs 212 have hooks thereon that are engaged in one of the openings 2'11, the other ends of said springs having hooks 213 thereon that engage over pins 214 extending inwardly from the side plates 20 and 21. The springs 212 are under tension and act to swing the levers 208' about the pivots 20's in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, causing the cooperating roller 203 to yieldingly engage the sheet feeding roller 100'.

Means is provided for moving the roller 203 away from the roller 100, which is desirable when the machine is not in operation, in order to prevent any solvent liquid that might be on the roller 1% from being transferred to the roller 2B3. Said means comprises links 215, which are connected with the extensions 21th of the levers 2th) by means of pins 216, each pin 216 passing through one of the openings 211 and an opening in the end of the link 215, the connection being adjustable, so as to vary the throw of the lever and thus the spacing of the roller 203 from the roller 100 when the links are actuated, by the choice of openings 211, with which the links 215 are connected. See Figs. 5 and 6.

The links 215 are connected with a rotatable shaft 217 by means of posts 218 extending upwardly from the shaft 217, and which serve as eccentric or crank means for the links 215. Thus if the shaft 217 is rocked so as to move the post-like members 218 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, the roller 203 will be moved away from the roller 100 against the action of the spring 212, while if the shaft is rocked in the opposite direction the roller 203 will be moved toward the roller 1%. The posts 218 are mounted in slots 219 in the links 215 so that there will be a slight amount of lost motion between the posts 218 and the links 215 so as to permit the springs to hold the roller 203 yieldingly in engagement with the roller 100.

The shaft 217 is rotatably mounted in openings in the side plates and 21 as shown in Fig. 3, and has a reduced portion 220 with which a set screw 221 engages, the set screw being mounted in a tubular arm 222 to fix said arm on said shaft 217 against both endwise movement and rotational movement relative thereto. The arm 222 has a bore 223 therein, into which the end of a lever 224- extends. The lever 224 is slabbed as at 225, at the end thereof that is within the bore 223, and a pin 226 extends crosswise of the bore 223 across the slabbed surface 225, thus preventing any rotation of the lever 224 relative to the arm 222. A compression spring 227 is mounted between the lower end of the lever 224 and the reduced portion 220 of the shaft so as to exert an upward pressure on the lever 224. The lever 224 is bent at 228 to provide a horizontally extending portion 229 that extends through a suitable arcuate slot 229a in the side plate 29 and provides a handle by means of which the lever 224 is rocked, thus rocking the shaft 217. Due to the provision of the spring 227 the handle portion 229 will frictionally engage the wall of the slot 229a in the side plate 20 so as to hold the lever 224 in adjusted position.

The shaft 217 has an eccentric 230 fixed thereon, which is rotatably mounted in an opening in a hook-like link 231 that has a hook-like end portion 232 thereon providing a shoulder 233 and a flat face 234 on said hook-like member 215 engaged by corresponding faces of a bar 235 that is rectangular in cross section. The bar 235' is fixed to a pair of levers 236 that are pivotally mounted on: pins 4 237 that project from the side plates 20 and 21, and which have curved recesses 238 therein providing cradles in which the ball bearings 239 are mounted. See Figs. 5 and 7.

The ball bearings 239 rotatably support the pressure roler 240, which has a core portion 241 that has reduced end portions 242 that are rotatably mounted in the ball bearings 239. Thus the roller 24% is freely rotatable in its bearings, and as the springs 212 tend to move the members 215 to the right as viewed in Fig. 2 endwise of themselves, and thus to rotate the shaft 217 in a clockwise direction, the rotation of the eccentric 230 will cause the hook-like member 231 to have a tendency to move toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, and thus swing the levers 236 about the pivots 237 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, yieldingly pressing the roller 240 into engagement with the surface of the drum 25.

When the lever 224 is moved by means of the handle 229 to rock the shaft 217 in a counter-clockwise direction from that shown for the position of the parts in Fig. 2, the hook-like member 231 will move toward the left in Fig. 2 due to the action of the eccentric 239 and also downwardly, which will permit the roller 24% to drop downwardly away from the drum 25 by the action of gravity.

In preparing the machine for operation, the impression roller 240, which is out of engagement with the drum 25 when the machine has not been in operation for a considerable' period of time, and the roller 2ii3, which is out of engagement with the roller 10!), are then brought into engagement with the drum 25 and the roller 1%, respectively, by moving the lever 224 by means of the handle 229 downwardly.

When operation of the machine is to be halted for a long period, as over-night or for several hours, the lever 229 is actuated to release the rollers 2 10 and 203 from the drum 25 and the roller 1%.

I claim:

1. In a duplicating machine having a pair of side plates, a drum, a pressure roller cooperating therewith, and upper and lower sheet feeding rollers disposed in front of the bite of said drum and pressure roller, said upper feeding roller and said drum being rotatably mounted in said side plates, the combination of means for determining the position of said lower feeding roller with respect to said upper feeding roller and the position of said pressure roller with respect to said drum, comprising a first pair of pivoted members mounted on said side plates, said lower feeding roller being rotatably mounted in said pivoted members, resilient means engaging said levers and urging said lower feeding roller into engagement with said upper combined feeding and moistening roller, a second pair of pivoted members mounted on said side frames, said pressure roller being rotatably mounted in said second pair of pivoted members, a bar connecting said second pair of pivoted members to cause the same to move together, a control shaft rotatably mounted in said side plates, eccentric means mounted on said shaft at a point substantially mid-way between said second pair of pivoted members, a link connecting said eccentric means and said bar whereby rotation of said shaft in one direction will cause said pressure roller to move into pressure engagement with said drum, crank means on said shaft, and link means connecting said crank means with said first pair of pivoted members, said crank means and said eccentric means being so arranged that rotation of said shaft in one direction will displace said first pair of pivoted members against the bias of said resilient means to maintain said lower feeding roller out of contact with said upper feeding roller and will also release the connection between said link and said bar, said link means and said crank means embodying a lost motion connection whereby rotation of said shaft in the opposite direction will cause said resilient means to again. become operative to maintain said upper and lower feeding rollers in cooperative engagement with each other and will positively urge said pressure roller into contact with said drum.

2. In a duplicating machine having a frame means, and a drum and feed roller rotatably mounted on a fixed axis in said frame means, the combination of first and Second cooperating rollers for said drum and said feed roller, respectively, said first cooperating roller constituting an impression roller, first and second pivoted means mounted on said frame for independently mounting said first and second cooperating rollers, respectively, for movement toward and away from said drum and feed roller respectively, and a single control means for pcsitioning both of said cooperating rollers, said control means including a control shaft rotatably mounted in said frame means, first and second eccentric means carried on said control shaft, first link means connecting the first eccentric means and said first pivoted means whereby rotation of said control shaft in a first direction will positively urge said impression roller against said drum to produce a regulated duplicating pressure, and whereby rotation of said control shaft in the opposite direction will cause said impression roller to move away from and out of contact with said drum, resilient means engaging said second pivoted member for urging said second cooperating roller against said feed roller with a predetermined pressure, and second link means connecting said second eccentric means with said second pivoted means for causing said second cooperating roller to be moved away from and out of contact with said feed roller when said control shaft is rotated in said opposite direction, said group of elements comprising said second pivoted means, said second link means and said second eccentric means embodying a lost motion connection whereby rotation of said control shaft in said first direction will not affect the action of said resilient means.

3. A duplicating machine as claimed in claim 2 in which said second pivoted means is provided with a series of openings which are radially spaced from each othe; with respect to the pivot point of said pivoted member,

and in which said resilient means embodies a tension spring, one end thereof being anchored on said frame means, and the other end thereof being connected to said pivoted member at one of said openings, whereby the force exerted by said tension spring may be regulated by connecting the second mentioned end thereof to one or the other of said openings.

4. A duplicating machine as claimed in claim 2 in which said first eccentric means comprises an eccentric cam engaging said first link means in order that said duplicating pressure may be closely regulated.

5. A duplicating machine as claimed in claim 2 in which said frame means includes a side plate having an arcuate slot therein, an arm secured to said control shaft and provided with a bore, a lever slidably received within the bore of said arm, said lever having a bent end which extends through said arcuate slot in a direction generally parallel to the axis of said control shaft, and a spring disposed within said bore for urging said arm radially outward so that said bent end will frictionally engage the wall of said arcuate slot, whereby said lever and control shaft will tend to remain in any given angular position due to said frictional engagement.

6. A duplicating machine as claimed in claim 2 in which said second pivoted means is provided with a series of openings which are radially spaced from each other with respect to the pivot point of said pivoted member, and a pin passing through one of said openings and connecting said second link means to said second pivoted means whereby the throw of said second pivoted means may be regulated by inserting said connecting pin through one or the other of said openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

